1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for processing poultry extremities (termed "pieces to be processed" in the following) which contain bones and are in the form of arm or leg members, in each case comprising lower and upper member portions joined together by a central joint, which is partially formed by the proximal condyle of the lower member and by the distal condyle of the upper member; as well as an apparatus for performing the method, this apparatus comprising at least one holding device for the pieces to be processed.
2. Prior Art
A method for stripping off the meat of poultry legs as well as a device for performing such method are known from WO 88/04894. This method is characterised in that one of the condyles is removed, and subsequently the bone extending through the meat is removed by extraction or cutting out. This is done by scraping knives, which perform a movement relative to the bone in the direction of the severed condyle, so that the meat is obtained essentially undamaged after this processing.
Further, a processing installation for poultry parts can be taken from DE-OS 37 03 836, wherein poultry legs consisting of an upper and a lower member are held and centred between nail plates, whereupon the knee joint is punched out and each poultry leg is divided along the whole length, i.e. the bones are split in a longitudinal direction as well and finally the bone halves are lifted out of the meat portions.
While, according to the first mentioned prior art reference merely upper and lower legs of poultry can be processed, the last mentioned prior art installation gives the disadvantage that the relatively small thickness of the bones of chicken legs requires an extremely precise separation in order to be able to release the bone halves without the danger of breaking. A further disadvantage of this separation process is that the bone marrow is distributed over the cutting face such that bone-meal is produced which also "contaminates" the cutting face.